Silk Smitha

Silk Smitha
Vijayalakshmi Vadlapati (2 December 1960 – 23 September 1996), better known by her stage name Silk Smitha, was an Indian actress and dancer who worked mainly in Tamil and Telugu cinema, in addition to some Malayalam, Kannada and Hindi films. She became one of India's most popular sex symbol of the 1980s and early 1990s, as well as one of the most sought-after erotic actress in South Indian cinema in the 1980s. Smitha was a key figure in the Malayalam softcore film genre in the late 1980s.
In a career spanning 18 years, she appeared in over 450 films. Smitha was part of several successful dance numbers in the 1980s Indian films. She entered the industry as a supporting actress, and was first noticed for her role as "Silk" in the 1979, Tamil film, Vandichakkaram.
Early life
Smitha was born in Kovvali village in Eluru district, Andhra Pradesh on 2 December 1960 to Vadlapati Ramallu and Sarasamma couple. She was a school dropout due to her family situation. Her family married her off at a very young age. Her husband and in-laws treated her poorly and she soon ran away.
Career
Smitha started as a touch-up artist for actress Aparna and soon got a break in small character roles. She got her first movie as a heroine by Malayalam director Anthony Eastman in his film "Inaye Thedi", though the movie got released very much later. Anthony gave her the name Smitha. She got her big break in Tamil by director Vinu Chakravarthy. He took her under his wing; his wife taught her English and arranged for her to learn dancing, though soon, due to her marked sex appeal, she switched to roles of cabaret dancers and vamps and inevitably found herself typecast. After garnering much notice and acclaim with her first major role in the Tamil film Vandichakkaram, in 1979, Smitha assumed the screen name "Silk", after her character's name in the movie. After it became a big hit, she could not escape typecasting, severely limiting her range throughout her career.
Smitha went on to star in Tamil, Malayalam, Telugu, Kannada and a few Hindi films. Her dance numbers and bold performances in films like Moondru Mugam made her the ultimate symbol of sensuality in South Indian cinema. Her item numbers in films like Amaran, Halli Meshtru (in Kannada) were also celebrated at the box office. Some film critics, historians and journalists have referred to her as a "soft porn" actress. A vast majority of her movies are considered "softcore" by Indian standards and a common theme is her playing a freakishly strong agent in skimpy bikinis and beating up huge thugs. Her acting prowess did not go completely unnoticed, and in her rare non-sexual roles she impressed critics and audiences, such as her portrayal of a wife hurt by her role in her husband's rape of their maid (which she passively allowed by not preventing him from entering the maid's bathroom and standing "guard" during the shameful act, to prevent embarrassment to their family) and when she poignantly admitted her mistake in her confrontation of her husband in Alaigal Oivathillai (1981). One of her Malayalam softcore films, Layanam (1989), has earned cult status in the Indian adult film industry and was dubbed in numerous languages, including Hindi as Reshma Ki Jawani (2002), acquiring cult status. Her most respected film is Moondram Pirai, by Balu Mahendra, remade in Hindi as Sadma, with much of the top-drawer cast, including Sridevi, Kamal Hassan, and Silk Smitha reprising their roles.
Such was her audience-drawing power that, at the peak of her career, according to Tamil film historian Randor Guy, "Films that had lain in cans for years were sold by the simple addition of a Silk Smitha song."
Personal life
Smitha had a small circle of close friends. Owing to being an introvert she was said to not make friends as quick. She was often known for her short temperedness, determination and straightforwardness, which some mistook for arrogance. She was punctual (arriving in movie sets well before the shooting commences), responsible, and ambitious (having learned to speak the English language fluently despite her limited education). She was also described as having a "soft" and "child like" personality by her friends and fans. She was skilled with costume design, makeup and made it her profession before entering the industry.
Death
On the night of 22 September 1996, after a movie shoot, Smitha contacted her friend Anuradha, to discuss a serious issue that was disturbing her. Later that morning, Smitha was found dead by hanging, in her hotel room.
After a few months of her death, it was reported that Smitha may have died by suicide due to excess alcohol found in her body. The police also recovered a suicide note from her, which could not be deciphered. Her death remains as an unsolved mystery till today.
Filmography
In popular culture
Biographies
In 2011, the film The Dirty Picture directed by Milan Luthria starred Vidya Balan as Silk Smitha. Reports suggest that the family of Silk Smitha, on whom the film is based, is not happy with the movie. Smitha's brother, V. Naga Vara Prasad, claimed the film was made without the family's consent. After the claim, Ekta Kapoor immediately changed her statement by quoting The Dirty Picture is not based on Silk Smitha's life.
In 2013, a Kannada film titled Dirty Picture: Silk Sakkath Hot, starring Pakistani actress Veena Malik was released. The film was based on Silk Smitha, and Veena Malik was praised for her performance in the film. The film was a hit in Karnataka.
A Malayalam film titled Climax, starring Sana Khan as Silk Smitha released on 24 May 2013.
References
The 2023 film Dasara has a shop name "Silk Soda Center" also inspired by her.
The 2023 Tamil film Mark Antony portrays her, with Vishnu Priya Gandhi, a lookalike of her playing the role.
References
Further reading
Ashish Rajadhyaksha, Encyclopedia of Indian Cinema, Oxford University Press, 1994
Roopa Swaminathan, Star Dust: Vignettes from the Fringes of the Film Industry, Penguin, 2004
Suparna Bhaskaran, 'Decolonizations, Queer Sexualities, Trans/National Projects'', Palgrave Macmillan, 2004
External links
1960 births
1996 deaths
Female suicides
Telugu actresses
Actresses in Kannada cinema
Suicides by hanging in India
Actresses from Andhra Pradesh
Actresses in Malayalam cinema
20th-century Indian actresses
Actresses in Tamil cinema
People from Eluru
Actresses in Telugu cinema
Indian film actresses
Actresses in Hindi cinema
1996 suicides
People from West Godavari district
Artists who died by suicide